I'm considering upgrading my PC by changing the CPU cooler and adding more RAM. I currently have a 600W power supply unit (PSU), but I'm unsure of the wattage for all my components. I'm a bit skeptical about the watt usage numbers on PCPartPicker after seeing differing values for my CPU cooler. Here's what I have: an AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT, GSKILL FlareX 16GB RAM (adding another stick), a B450 AORUS M motherboard, and a Gigabyte Eagle RTX 3060. My case is a Masterbox MB511, and I also have some additional fans. I'm planning to upgrade to the ARCTIC Freezer 36 cooler, but I'd like advice on how to accurately assess my wattage needs.
1 Answer
To figure out your watt usage, check the wattage requirements for each component from their manuals or online. Once you've got that, add up the maximum wattages to find out the total. It's best to choose a PSU that exceeds that total for safety. Overall, the goal is to get a rough idea of your power needs before upgrading.
So, if everything's different, how do you know what to believe? It's all a bit confusing!
I get that it's tricky when different sources give you different numbers. But for instance, you can estimate: PSU is around 95W, RAM about 27W, GPU around 170W, and maybe 24W for the fans. That totals about 316W, which is well under your 600W limit, plus you'll want some wiggle room for efficiency.